Valve with axial screw assembly

ABSTRACT

A valve of the irrigation riser type, intended primarily for discharging irrigation water, under low pressure head, in controlled volume, in an annular discharge stream. The valve consists of a typical riser cylinder, with an inwardly folded annular shoulder at the upper end, and a disk closure plate adjustably supported above the annular shoulder by means of an axial screw threadably received in a spider in the interior of the riser cylinder. The spider is comprised of an assembly of several identical spider arm segments, extending outwardly and upwardly from the center of the riser cylinder, and an internally threaded bushing which is retained in place within said assembly of spider arm segments. Preferably, the riser cylinder and the spider arm segments are ferrous and welded, while the bushing is a corrosion-resistant non-ferrous material.

Waited States Patent 1191 Varrin et ai.

[54] VALVE WITH AXIAL SCREW ASSEMBLY [75] Inventors: Andre J. Varrin,Oregon City; William L. McCarter, Portland, both of Greg.

[73] Assignee: Pan American Enterprises, Portland,

Oreg.

[22] Filed: June 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 261,364

1451 May 22, 3973 Primary Examiner-William R. Cline AttorneyEdmond F.Shanahan [57] ABSTRACT A valve of the irrigation riser type, intendedprimarily for discharging irrigation water, under low pressure head, incontrolled volume, in an annular discharge stream. The valve consists ofa typical riser cylinder, with an inwardly folded annular shoulder atthe upper end, and a disk closure plate adjustably supported above theannular shoulder by means of an axial screw threadably received in aspider in the interior of the riser cylinder. The spider is comprised ofan assembly of several identical spider arm segments, extendingoutwardly and upwardly from the center of the riser cylinder, and aninternally threaded bushing which is retained in place within saidassembly of spider arm segments. Preferably, the riser cylinder and thespider arm segments are ferrous and welded, while the bushing is acorrosion-resistant non-ferrous material.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEI HAY P. 2 [975 VALVE WITH AXIALSCREW ASSEMBLY This invention relates generally to valves of the risertype, generally used for discharging an annular stream of liquid underlow pressure; the usual application is in agricultural irrigationsystems, in which such valves are distributed at spaced intervals alongan irrigation water distributing pipe.

Irrigation pipe is subjected to rough usage in the field, and mustgenerally be made of steel, despite the corrosion problems of steelpipe.

Irrigation pipe is disposed in an agricultural field network, throughwhich irrigation water is periodically distributed at low pressure. Atspaced intervals along the steel pipe comprising the irrigation pipenetwork, there are provided tee risers for the local release ofirrigation water in each local zone.

It is necessary to provide an adjustable control valve at eachirrigation water riser. Obviously, the irrigation valve opening must beadjusted to greater opening as the openings are spaced progressivelyfarther downstream away from the water source. Indeed, it is necessaryto be able to shut off particular zones where, for the present, noirrigation water is required. In the past, the farmer has beenconfronted with a choice between an inexpensive steel valve which wouldbecome corroded within a few seasons, so as to be no longer adjustable,or even movable; or to purchase a relatively expensive brass valve.Various attempts to combine brass in the valve adjustment portion, witha steel valve body, have been unsuccessful. Steel parts are best weldedtogether, but heretofore, no satisfactory attachment of the brass partshas been available in an irrigation valve.

In the present invention, an internally threaded brass bushing issupported in a steel spider, without welding or brazing of any kind.Instead, the spider is made of three (or more) identical formed sheetsteel segments, with which the brass bushing can be integrally assembledprior to welding. The bushing is retained in position by its own flangesand sets of mating notches and shoulders on both bushing and spider.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willbest be understood from the following description of a preferredspecific embodiment, which description should be read with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa valve constructed according to theinvention, and welded in place on an irrigation supply conduit, thevalve being illustrated in an open position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the valve body, showing the spider and bushingassembly supported within; the shut-off disc and screw have been removedfor purposes of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bushing and spider assembly, beforeit has been welded in position within the valve of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the non-ferrous bushing employed in thebushing and spider assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the formed sheet metal segments,three of which are welded together to construct the spider assembly seenin FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

In FIG. 1, the numeral indicates, generally, a valve constructedaccording to the invention, and installed, typically, in an irrigationwater conduit system indicated generally by the conduit sections 11 andl2.

Typically, pipe sections 11 and 12 are connected by a riser tee 13,having a water delivery riser 14, which receives valve 10. It will beunderstood, however, that the novelty and utility of the invention isnot restricted to the particular installation illustrated in FIG. 1.

Water controlled by the valve 10 passes upwardly through a tubular valvebody 20. Preferably valve body 20 is formed with an external annularshoulder 21, at approximately its mid-section, for conveniently locatingand positioning valve 10 in the riser 14.

In its preferred form, valve body 20 has an inwardly projecting annularflange 22 at its upper end, flange 22 functioning as a valve seat for aclosure disc 23.

Closure disk 23 is mounted co-axially on the upper end of a screw 25,which is threadably received in an internally threaded bushing 26, whichis co-axially supported within valve body 20 by a spider assemblyindicated generally by the numeral 30.

Spider 30 is an assembly of three formed sheet metal segments 31, 32,and 33. A single segment 31 is illustrated in perspective in FIG. 5; theother segments are identical pieces.

It is an important feature of novelty of the invention that theparticular type of construction, assembly, and selection of fabricationmaterial co-act to produce a reliable valve 10, with a minimum ofproduction problems and a minimum percentage of production rejects.

Steel, because of its strength and excellent weldability is thepreferred material for the tubular valve body 20 and the spider segments31, 32, and 33. However, brass, or a similar corrosion-resistantmaterial, is much preferred for the fabrication of internally threadedbushing 26. Unfortunately, the assembly of brass to steel by welding orbrazing is generally a poor method of fabrication, and prone to producea high percentage of production rejects. Thus, for example, in the valveillustrated, it might appear that the valve could be constructed withthe spider 30 and the brass bushing 26 fabricated as a single brasscasting. This would necessitate welding a brass spider to the internalwall surfaces of the steel valve body 20, an unreliable andunsatisfactory type of construction. Also, this type of manufacture issuch that the internal threads would have to be machined after theassembly of spider 30 in the valve body 20.

In the construction of the present invention, the difficultiesenumerated in the preceding paragraph are avoided, since bushing 26 isfirmly retained in the spider 30 by a kind of nesting assembly, and notby welding. The bushing 26 is fabricated, as seen in FIG. 4, completewith its internal threads at 41. The ends of bushing 26 are providedwith outwardly projecting flanges 42 and 43, which are notched by radialnotches 42a and 43a respectively.

As may be seen in FIG. 5 each of the spider segments 31, 32, and 33, isprovided with an upstream notch 31a (at the lower edge) and a downstreamnotch 31b (at the upper edge as illustrated). Segments 32 and 33 arecorrespondingly notched so that in assembly, the three segments 31, 32,and 33 may be assembled to bushing 26, as shown in the perspective viewof FIG. 3, with mating notches closely receiving the adjacent portionsof bushing flanges 42 and 43.

The assembly of FIG. 3 is held in assembly by spot welds-on segments 31,32, and 33, for example at locations 51, 52, and 53.

The assembly of FIG. 3, thus welded into a unit, is then slipped intothe valve body 20 (most easily from the lower end thereof) and each ofthe three arms of spider 30 is welded to the interior wall surface ofvalve 20 as indicated at 54 in the plan view of FIG. 2.

A preferred form of construction is to fabricate the screw 25 with amanual turning crossbar 25a mounted transversely in an enlarged head 25bat its upper end.

It is preferred to fabricate screw 25 out of a corrosion-resistant andreadily machinable aluminum cylindrical bar. Also, aluminum makes apractical material for the fabrication of closure disk 23.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated, the closure disk 23is provided with a peripheral closure surface 23a, for firmly seating onthe inwardly projecting annular flange 22.

It will be understood, that the invention is not restricted to thespecific materials mentioned. The essential point is that the spidersegments 31, 32, and 33 be readily weldable to each other and to valvebody 20, although not to the corrosion-resistant bushing 26.

Generally, steel or porous materials of some kind will be best suitedfor valve body 20 and spider 30.

Although brass has been specifically mentioned for the bushing 26, andthe screw 25, these might be fabricated, within the scope of theinvention, from a suitable plastic, since they are not required to beweldable. By use of suitable welding techniques, known to those skilledin the welding art, the spot welds 51, 52, and 53 can be applied to theassembly illustrated in FIG. 3 without subjecting the bushing 26 totemperatures beyond the capacity of suitable plastic materials.

We claim:

1. A valve for upwardly discharging an annular stream of liquid inadjustable volume at low pressure, which valve includes:

a cylindrical metal valve body for disposition as a riser cylinder witha lower upstream end for intake of liquid at low pressure, and anupwardly opening discharge end, said upper discharge end including anannular valve seat shoulder around its periphery;

a spider assembly coaxially disposed within said valve body, said spiderassembly including: at least three substantially identical formed sheetmetal segments, formed of a metal readily weldable to the metal of saidvalve body, each segment consisting of a arcuate portion coaxial withthe axis of said valve body, and a pair of radial arms extending fromeach end of said arcuate section to the internal wall surfaces of saidvalve body, said segments in combination providing a bushing supporttube coaxial with said valve body, said tube being spaced at anelevation below said valve seat shoulder and said arms sweeping upwardlyand outwardly to make contact with the internal walls of said valve bodyclosely adjacent to the underside of said seating shoulder;

welded attachment of said segments to said valve body and to each other;

an internally threaded bushing supported in said bushing tube, saidbushing being provided with outer surface wall projections and recessesfor nesting with said spider assembly in said bushing support tube in amating assembly therewith retaining said bushing against this assemblyand against rotations;

an axial screw threadably received in said bushing,

said screw extending vertically above said discharge opening of saidvalve body, and said screw being provided with a valve handle rotationmeans at its upper end; and

a horizontally disposed closure plate coaxially retained on said screwbelow said handle, said closure plate being adapted to seat on saidannular valve shoulder to close said valve, or to be upwardly retractedby the unthreading of said screw to a position spaced above said valveseat for the measured flow of liquid from said valve.

2. A valve as described in claim 1 in which said valve body and saidspider arm segments are of ferrous material readily weldable to eachother, and said bushing is fabricated of a corrosion-resistantnon-ferrous material not readily weldable to said ferrous material.

3. A valve as described in claim 1 in which said bushing is formed withan outwardly projecting annular shoulder at each end, for seatingagainst the adjacent surfaces of said bushing support tube, andretaining said bushing against longitudinal displacement in said bushingsupport tube; and said annular shoulders are provided with notchesmating with said radial arms of said spider assembly to retain saidbushing against rotation within said bushing support tube.

1. A valve for upwardly discharging an annular stream of liquid inadjustable volume at low pressure, which valve includes: a cylindricalmetal valve body for disposition as a riser cylinder with a lowerupstream end for intake of liquid at low pressure, and an upwardlyopening discharge end, said upper discharge end including an annularvalve seat shoulder around its periphery; a spider assembly coaxiallydisposed within said valve body, said spider assembly including: atleast three substantially identical formed sheet metal segments, formedof a metal readily weldable to the metal of said valve body, eachsegment consisting of a arcuate portion coaxial with the axis of saidvalve body, and a pair of radial arms extending from each end of saidarcuate section to the internal wall surfaces of said valve body, saidsegments in combination providing a bushing support tube coaxial withsaid valve body, said tube being spaced at an elevation below said valveseat shoulder and said arms sweeping upwardly and outwardly to makecontact with the internal walls of said valve body closely adjacent tothe underside of said seating shoulder; welded attachment of saidsegments to said valve body and to each other; an internally threadedbushing supported in said bushing tube, said bushing being provided withouter surface wall projections and recesses for nesting with said spiderassembly in said bushing support tube in a mating assembly therewithretaining said bushing against this assembly and against rotations; anaxial screw threadably received in said bushing, said screw extendingvertically above said discharge opening of said valve body, and saidscrew being provided with a valve handle rotation means at its upperend; and a horizontally disposed closure plate coaxially retained onsaid screw below said handle, said closure plate being adapted to seaton said annular valve shoulder to close said valve, or to be upwardlyretracted by the unthreading of said screw to a position spaced abovesaid valve seat for the measured flow of liquid from said valve.
 2. Avalve as describEd in claim 1 in which said valve body and said spiderarm segments are of ferrous material readily weldable to each other, andsaid bushing is fabricated of a corrosion-resistant non-ferrous materialnot readily weldable to said ferrous material.
 3. A valve as describedin claim 1 in which said bushing is formed with an outwardly projectingannular shoulder at each end, for seating against the adjacent surfacesof said bushing support tube, and retaining said bushing againstlongitudinal displacement in said bushing support tube; and said annularshoulders are provided with notches mating with said radial arms of saidspider assembly to retain said bushing against rotation within saidbushing support tube.